Preview: A Southern Fried Mess
In an era where “entertainment” usually involves a teenager dancing for thirty seconds on a telephone screen, director Michael Diliberti brings us Bad Man (2025). This gritty, R-rated crime comedy attempts to transplant the classic “new sheriff in town” Western trope into a modern-day Tennessee town that’s got more meth than it has teeth. It’s a story about a small-town deputy who gets sidelined when a supposed big-shot undercover agent rolls into town to solve a murder, proving once and for all that nobody likes a know-it-all from out of state.
The film stars Seann William Scott—a man who apparently decided that since he can’t be a teenager forever, he might as well play a guy who acts like one with a badge. He’s joined by Johnny Simmons as the local deputy who’s about as respected as a vegan at a BBQ, and Rob Riggle, who I’m convinced is just naturally that loud in real life. It’s a “buddy cop” movie where the buddies hate each other, and frankly, after ninety minutes, you might hate both of them too.
Review by Ben Dover
Lord help me, I sat through another one. Bad Man is what happens when someone watches Fargo but forgets to include the talent or the likable characters. We’re supposed to follow Deputy Sam Evans (Johnny Simmons), a local kid who used to be a sports star but is now the town laughingstock. Then comes Bobby Gaines (Seann William Scott), an “undercover” Narc who walks into town with the subtlety of a heart attack.
Look, I like Seann William Scott. He’s got that “I definitely stayed back three years in high school” energy that works. But in this movie, he’s doing this macho, gravel-voiced routine that feels like a parody of a parody. He tells everyone “there are no good men, only bad men and those they bend.” Give me a break. I’ve heard more profound things written on the wall of a Greyhound bus station bathroom. The kid, Johnny Simmons, plays the “inept local” well enough, mostly because he spends the whole movie looking like he’s about to cry.
The plot is a mess of “twists” that you can see coming from three counties away. They try to be edgy with “dark humor,” which usually just means people swearing at each other or making jokes about body parts that I haven’t seen in decades. It’s got that modern obsession with “toxic masculinity”—a phrase I still don’t understand. Back in my day, we just called it “being a jerk.” These kids today need a label for everything.
I will say, there are moments where I actually cracked a smile. Rob Riggle is a hoot as the sheriff who has no clue what’s going on, probably because he reminds me of my brother-in-law. And Ethan Suplee shows up as a bad guy; that man is built like a brick outhouse and is actually intimidating. But the movie keeps getting interrupted by a forced romance and dialogue that tries way too hard to be Tarantino-lite. It’s like watching a golden retriever try to do a backflip—it’s ambitious, but it usually ends in a mess.
The Stars
- Seann William Scott: Playing “Bobby Gaines.” He’s basically Stifler with a Glock and a mid-life crisis.
- Johnny Simmons: As “Sam Evans.” The poor kid spends the movie being the human equivalent of a participation trophy.
- Rob Riggle: The Sheriff. He yells a lot. It’s what he does. It’s what he’s paid for.
- Chance Perdomo: In his final role, he plays a DJ and actually brings some actual charm to this dumpster fire. Rest in peace, kid.
Special Effects and Music
The “special effects” mostly consist of blood packs exploding and people getting hit in the groin. It’s not exactly Ben-Hur. As for the music by Andrew Orkin, it’s a lot of Southern-fried guitar twanging that sounds like the background music in a Bass Pro Shops. It’s fine if you like that sort of thing, but it didn’t do much for my tinnitus.
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
(Two stars. One for Seann William Scott’s effort, and one because it was under two hours long. I don’t have that much time left, you know.)
Complete Synopsis and Plot Breakdown
The story kicks off in the small, damp town of Colt Lake, Tennessee. A local man is murdered, and because the town is crawling with meth, everyone assumes it’s a drug deal gone south. Enter Sam Evans, a local deputy and former high school hero who is now treated like the town idiot. His boss, Sheriff Riggle, doesn’t trust him to lead the case.
Suddenly, Bobby Gaines arrives. He claims to be a high-level undercover operative from a state narcotics task force. He’s wearing leather, talking in a low growl, and acting like he’s the second coming of John Wayne. The town eats it up. They treat him like a hero while Sam is forced to be his errand boy.
As they investigate, they run into a pair of genuinely scary criminals played by Ethan Suplee and Paul Felder. Gaines uses “unconventional” (read: stupid and violent) methods to move the case forward. However, the big “twist”—which I won’t fully spoil for the three of you who actually go see this—revolves around whether Gaines is actually who he says he is. It turns out “the bad man” in the title might refer to more than just the meth dealers.
The finale is a messy standoff where Sam finally has to grow a backbone and decide if he’s going to follow the “hero” Gaines or actually do his job as a cop. There’s a lot of shooting, a lot of shouting, and a conclusion that feels like the writers ran out of ink and just decided to stop.
5 Famous Quotes
- “There are no good men, only bad men and those they bend.”
- “Is that a shooting star? No, it’s your dignity leaving the room.”
- “I got two rules: don’t touch my stuff, and do you have any stuff?”
- “You’re a legend in this town, Sam. Too bad legends usually end up dead or in the gutter.”
- “I’m not a cop, I’m the guy the cops call when they’re too scared to be cops.”
5 Interesting Facts
- Final Performance: This movie marks the final film appearance of Chance Perdomo, who tragically passed away in 2024. He’s actually the best part of the movie.
- Filming Location: Despite being set in Tennessee, a good chunk of the movie was filmed in Alabama. I guess one humid state is as good as another.
- Stifler’s Return: This was marketed as Seann William Scott’s big return to “R-rated comedy,” though it leans much heavier into the “crime” side than American Pie.
- UFC Cameo: The bad guy “Gus” is played by Paul Felder, who is a real-life retired UFC fighter. He’s the only one in the movie who looks like he actually knows how to punch someone.
- Director’s Debut: This is the first feature film directed by Michael Diliberti, who previously wrote 30 Minutes or Less. You can tell he really likes movies where guys yell at each other in cars.
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